Beard: Tracking toy trends remains popular pastime for Ann Arbor man

If the recent controversy over Breaking Bad action figures at Toys ‘R’ Us proved anything, it’s that toys remain a passion for many, and not just children. Michael Crawford of Ann Arbor would agree. He’s made a name for himself as popular online reviewer who tracks toy trends for kids of all ages — even the controversial ones

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“There are several [2014 action figure] trends worth noting,” he said, “but I think one of the more interesting ones is the deep dive into television properties. In the past, TV lines have fared poorly and most companies have long considered them high risk. But 2014 saw a lot of TV lines on the pegs, and doing well – McFarlane with Walking Dead; Mezco with Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad; NECA and Mattel with the ‘66 Batman; Funko with Game of Thrones; and even DC Collectibles with statues and figures based on Arrow. I think part of this new willingness to work with TV licenses is due to the more cinematic feel many of these high quality shows have. It’s nice to see this trend, and I certainly hope it rolls on.”

Under his online guise as “Captain Toy,” Crawford has also become enamored with what he sees as a move back to ¼ scale figures, echoing the 12” GI Joe figures of yore. That said, other figure scales loom large in his predictions for the year to come, much of which are aimed almost exclusively at the adult collector.

“Sixth scale will continue to boom,” he said. “Hot Toys is starting to see a lot more competition from companies like ACI, Asmus, ThreeZero and ThreeA, Star Ace, Qmx — even Mondo is getting in the act. Lots of companies have seen the success Hot Toys has had, and now want to take a shot at it themselves.

“In that same vein, I think more companies will try to mimic Funko’s success with the ‘baseball card’ collectibles. I use that term to mean something that is really cheap, but really cool and they make a billion of them. Obviously, baseball cards were one of the first, but Garbage Pail Kids, Homies, Beanie Babies … these are all examples. Right now, Funko is killing it with their vinyl figures. They’ve captured that elusive cool factor, they are relatively cheap, and they are making a billion different characters for every possible license in the universe. This makes the hoarders…er…collectors very happy, and they buy them in cases. They themselves are trying to follow this up with their ReAction figures, a line that taps into nostalgia as well. Other companies will see their 2014 success, and are going to try to replicate it.”

Crawford’s reviews at www.mwctoys.com are, of course, balanced between his own opinions and the facts of production flaws and success, but its his own passionate eye and tastes that seem to have made himself successful in serving the toy collecting community. That opinion also comes out strong in what he’d like to see in the market that’s not already being produced.

“Most of my license dreams have been met,” he said. “I used to wish for a 1966 Batman series, but that’s been answered. I’d like more of course — there are still so many villains to do — but I can die happy with what we’ve gotten. After that comes Firefly, but Qmx has started the sixth scale series with Mal, so that looks like things are going in the right direction. What I’d love to see know is someone do a high-end sixth scale line like the old Movie Maniacs — a series that isn’t based on one property, but gives us one figure from lots of different licenses. A Blade Runner Deckard, a Mad Max Max, a Beetlejuice, a [Stephen King’s] It Pennywise, etc. There’s a ton of great single figures out there that someone needs to bring together under one umbrella.”

And what would talking toys be without an eye toward the coming holidays? Crawford’s suggestions for action figure gift-giving encompasses young and somewhat more mature toy aficionados on your lists this year.

“Toys ‘R’ Us is carrying a line of Pixar-based toys right now, including action figures, electronic figures and plush toys,” he noted. “They include properties like Wall-E, the Incredibles and Finding Nemo, and I get emails from parents all the time looking for Pixar toys because they missed out when the movies were in theaters, or they have young kids now watching the movies and wanting toys. The selection is very good, and shouldn’t be overlooked for Christmas potential.

“For the collector, there are several great items available right now. For the Batman fan, I’d go after the Sideshow 1/6th figure, one of the best toys -= not just collectible, but something sturdy enough to handle – in the high-end category I’ve seen this year. For fans of Game of Thrones, the Funko line of figures is great, and can be had at the local Barnes and Noble. Simpsons fans have the new NECA figures at Toys R Us to enjoy, too.”

Thoughts of the winter holidays puts the good Captain in mind of own childhood favorites, as well as more recent picks for his top toys of all time.

“I can never pick just one,” Crawford said. “I can’t even pick just one series, although there are three that top my list. The Marx Best of the West series was my favorite as a child, and I still have many of the figures and accessories. The Palisades’ Muppets line is one of the best produced and designed lines of all time, and you can really see the love that went into it. And of course, as a big Simpsons nerd, the World of Springfield line remains one of my personal favorites.”

Beard: ‘Batman ’66’ action figures hit Toledo

For the first time, toys based on the costume designs and actor likenesses of the 1966 “Batman” TV series are hitting mass-market retail shelves this month. Thanks to Mattel, one of the world’s biggest toy companies, fans of the show have good reason to celebrate their unashamed love for the camp classic.

Mattel has provided three of the six “Batman Classic TV Series” action figures to reviewers: Adam West’s Batman, Frank Gorshin’s Riddler and Burgess Meredith’s Penguin. Measuring in at 6 inches tall, the figures are fun, colorful reminders of glory days past when the Batman comic came alive two nights a week on television and enthralled both children and adults alike. Likewise, Mattel’s line of “Batman” ’66 figures should appeal to all ages of fans, so don’t be fooled by the “Adult Collector” tag on the packaging; with full articulation and no small parts, these toys are made to be played with by the whole family.

Not surprisingly, Mattel has gone with more-or-less idealized representations of the actors. Burgess Meredith’s countenance is the real standout, but there’s also no mistaking West’s and Gorshin’s distinct faces. The company has even gone so far as to attempt facsimiles of the actors’ body types, especially in West’s uniquely defined torso and skinny legs. Again, while somewhat idealized, each figure embraces the clunkiness of the 1966 show’s budgetary restraints, but Batman’s cape is a bit of a letdown, being more a rough-edged piece of common fabric rather than emulating the satiny glam of its TV counterpart. At least they remembered the Riddler’s little green slippers, though the figure’s forehead is empty of any of Gorshin’s mania-driven popping veins.

While there’s no indication that Mattel intends the six figures to make up a first wave of a recurring toy series, fans hope to see other characters join these on the store shelves. Current production also includes Cesar Romero’s Joker, Julie Newmar’s Catwoman and a variant Batman offering based on the infamous, shark-jumping episode “Surf’s Up! Joker’s Under!” That’s right; you can look forward to West in full Bat-regalia with the addition of surfer shorts and a surfboard. Robin the Boy Wonder will join his mentor in a special two-pack and Batman himself will also be spotlighted in an exclusive San Diego Comic-Con boxed “Batusi” set.

Ann Arbor resident and the Internet’s “Captain Toy” Michael Crawford sees the line as having legs, despite the immediate inclusion of all the show’s frontrunners.

“[Mattel has] done a much better job with the collector market the last few years,” he said, “and has found a way to make less profitable lines still sell through the Matty Collector website. We may not see a long-lasting series, but I’d bet we’ll get at least three waves before Mattel calls it quits.”

Crawford mentioned King Tut and the Bookworm as additional villains he’d like to see immortalized in plastic, but calls Vincent Price’s Egghead an “absolute have to have” figure. He also warns that the coming of “Batman” ’66 goodies after decades of drought might be a “flood hitting the desert” and may impact future offerings.

“When the desert gets hit with a ton of rain in a short period, it’s never pretty,” he said. “The desert can’t absorb it all — neither can the collectors. They are going to be overwhelmed by product, and have to get pretty choosy pretty quickly, which might make it appear as though the demand isn’t as great as they thought. My fear is that will negatively hurt the chances of seeing some of the lesser [Batman] characters.

“Right now I’m betting on two companies to make it the deepest — Mattel and Hot Toys. If Mattel can provide the type of quality collectors expect in a modern action figure at a reasonable price, they’ll get the lion’s share of the lower end market. Hot Toys is going to snag all those collectors that can afford their huge dollar figures, and I really have my fingers crossed that we’ll get at least 8-10 characters from them. It’s a long shot, but I could finally die happy.”

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